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Boron

Boron is a dietary mineral which is claimed to increase testosterone when supplemented at doses higher than from food, but research is lacking. It might as a byproduct of its anti-inflammatory effects.

Our evidence-based analysis on boron features 47 unique references to scientific papers.

Kamal Patel
Research analysis led by and reviewed by the Examine team.
Last Updated:

Summary of Boron

Primary information, health benefits, side effects, usage, and other important details

What is boron?

Boron is a trace mineral with biological effects, though its essentiality is debated.

What are boron's benefitS?

It seems to be able to reduce levels of inflammatory markers, and may reduce rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and menstural cramps, though much more research is needed before we can be confident in these benefits. It also might have a small positive effect on LDL-cholesterol, but this is far from certain.

What are boron's side-effects and drawbacks?

It seems to be generally safe, though human research on its adverse effects is lacking, so smaller doses may be warranted.

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How to Take

Recommended dosage, active amounts, other details

The lowest active dose of Boron supplementation appears to be 3mg, which is effective in supporting hormonal parameters in postmenopausal women. Studies on osteoarthritis have used 6mg of Boron while studies in youth investigating hormonal changes have used 10mg.

The optimal dose is currently not known, but the above doses appear to be active for their aforementioned goals.

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Human Effect Matrix

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The Human Effect Matrix summarizes human studies to tell you what effects Boron has on your body, how much evidence there is, and how strong these effects are.

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Grade Level of Evidence
Robust research conducted with repeated double-blind clinical trials
Multiple studies where at least two are double-blind and placebo controlled
Single double-blind study or multiple cohort studies
Uncontrolled or observational studies only
Level of Evidence
? The amount of high quality evidence. The more evidence, the more we can trust the results.
Outcome Magnitude of effect
? The direction and size of the supplement's impact on each outcome. Some supplements can have an increasing effect, others have a decreasing effect, and others have no effect.
Consistency of research results
? Scientific research does not always agree. HIGH or VERY HIGH means that most of the scientific research agrees.
Notes
grade-c
C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
Notable Very High See all 5 studies
Most studies found notable reductions, with calcium fructoborate being the most supported form.
grade-d
Cramps
Notable - See study
One study in young women found a meaningful improvement in pain and duration of menstrual cramps.
grade-d
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate
Notable Very High See 2 studies
There was a notable reduction with low, medium, or high doses in people with osteoarthritis. and rheumatoid arthritis.
grade-d
Interleukin 1-beta
Notable - See study
There was a notable reduction in one study in healthy participants, with no notable difference between 1.5 mg and 3 mg of calcium fructoborate.
grade-d
Interleukin 6
Notable Very High See 2 studies
Notable reductions have been found in people with rheumatoid arthritis and healthy participants.
grade-d
N-terminal Prohormone of Brain Natriuretic Peptide
Notable - See study
There was a notable reduction in one study, when taken on its own or combined with resveratrol compared with control and resveratrol alone.
grade-d
PMS
Notable - See study
One study in young women found a modest improvement in pain and duration of menstrual cramps. No other symptoms of PMS have been evaluated.
grade-d
Pain
Notable - See study
There was a notable reduction in knee pain in one study on people with knee discomfort.
grade-d
Symptoms of Osteoarthritis
Notable - See study
There was a notable reduction in overall symptoms in a study on people with knee discomfort but who hasn't necessarily been diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the knee.
grade-d
Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Notable - See study
There was a notable reduction from sodium tetraborate and calcium fructoborate in one small study. Calcium fructoborate looked somewhat more potent.
grade-d
TNF-Alpha
Notable - See study
There was a notable reduction in one study on people with rheumatoid arthritis. Calcium fructoborate was more effective than sodium tetraborate.
grade-d
Estrogen

Minor 		Low See all 3 studies
Appears to influence estrogen, seems unreliable in its mechanisms and is likely context dependent. Both increases and decreases have been noted
grade-d
Fibrinogen
Minor - See study
There was somewhat of a reduction in people with osteoarthritis in one study.
grade-d
Free Testosterone
Minor Very High See 2 studies
Appears to be somewhat effective, but requires some more robust trials
grade-d
Homocysteine
Minor - See study
There was a small decrease in healthy participants in one study.
grade-d
Inflammation
Minor - See study
Some influence on typically inflammatory cytokines, practical relevance of these changes unknown
grade-d
Interleukin 1-alpha
Minor - See study
Calcium fructoborate led to a notable reduction in one study in participants with rheumatoid arthritis, while calcium tetraborate only led to a small reduction.
grade-d
Kidney Stones
Minor - See study
Appears effective, but no comparison to a reference drug nor control group thus far
grade-d
LDL-C
Minor High See all 3 studies
Somewhat of a reduction in participants with high LDL has been noted in 3 studies.
grade-d
Liver Enzymes

Minor 		- See study
One crossover study found a small increase in alkaline phosphatase when boron was taken second, but not when taken first. More research is needed to verify this.
grade-d
Lymphocyte Count
Minor - See study
A small reduction was noted in one study. More studies are needed to verify this.
grade-d
Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1
Minor - See study
There was a reduction in one study on healthy participants. 3 mg of boron from calcium fructoborate was modestly more effective than 1.5 mg.
grade-d
Serum Magnesium
Minor - See study
There was somewhat of an increase in one study from 3 mg of chelates of citrate, aspartate, and glycinate.
grade-d
Serum T3

Minor 		- See study
There was both an increase and a decrease in a crossover trial when boron was taken first or second.
grade-d
Serum T4

Minor 		- See study
There was both a small increase and a decrease in a crossover study depending on whether boron was taken first or second.
grade-d
Testosterone
Minor High See all 3 studies
There appears to be somewhat of an interaction with boron and testosterone in both genders, but it is seemingly unreliable
grade-d
Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone

Minor 		- See study
While not statistically significant, boron saw a small increase when taken first in a crossover trial, but not when taken second.
grade-d
Total Cholesterol
Minor Very High See all 3 studies
Studies have generally found a small reduction in people with elevated levels.
grade-d
White Blood Cell Count
Minor - See study
There was somewhat of an increase in one study of peri-menopausal women. More research is needed to verify this.
grade-d
Blood Glucose
- - See study
There was no effect in participants with healthy blood sugar levels in one study.
grade-d
Body Fat
- - See study
No apparent effect in one study of normal weight males.
grade-d
Cortisol
- - See study
No significant effect on cortisol has been noted with supplemental boron
grade-d
DHT
- - See study
No significant influences on serum DHT noted
grade-d
Follicle-Stimulating Hormone
- - See study
There was an increase in one crossover study when it was taken second, but not when it was taken first.
grade-d
HDL-C
- High See all 3 studies
Studies don't suggest a meaningful effect overall.
grade-d
Lean Mass
- - See study
No apparent effect in one study.
grade-d
Plasma Calcium
- - See study
No apparent effect in one study from 3 mg of chelates of citrate, aspartate, and glycinate.
grade-d
Strength
- - See study
No apparent effect on 1-rep max squats and benchpress in men involved in a training program.
grade-d
Triglycerides
- High See all 3 studies
The studies don't consistently suggest a meaningful effect

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Research Breakdown on Boron

1Sources and Structure

1.1Sources

1.2Biological Significance

2Pharmacology

2.1Absorption

2.2Serum

2.3Elimination

3Neurology and the Brain

3.1Deficiency

4Interactions with Performance

5Glucose Metabolism

5.1Interventions

6Bone and Skeletal Mass

6.1Osteoarthritis

6.2Interventions

7Inflammation and Immunology

7.1Cytokines

8Interactions with Hormones

8.1Testosterone

8.2Estrogen

8.3Luteinizing Hormone

8.4Follicle-Stimulating Hormone

8.5Cortisol

9Interactions with Organ Systems

9.1Testicles

9.2Prostate

9.3Bladder and Urinary Tract

10Nutrient-Nutrient Interactions

10.1Vitamin D

11Safety and Toxicology

11.1General

11.2Boron Acute Toxicity
Click here to see all 47 references.

This page is regularly updated, to include the most recently available clinical trial evidence.

Each member of our research team is required to have no conflicts of interest, including with supplement manufacturers, food companies, and industry funders. The team includes nutrition researchers, registered dietitians, physicians, and pharmacists. We have a strict editorial process.

This page features 47 references. All factual claims are followed by specifically-applicable references. Click here to see the full set of research information and references for Boron.

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